Dear U.S. State Department, President Barack Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton:

The U.S. has bought $70,000 worth of air time on seven Pakistani television channels to air an ad showing President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denouncing the anti-Islamic video that has sparked violent protests in the Middle East and North Africa. (source)

Many Muslims (including myself) complain and talk about how Muslims are protesting, getting angry, burning flags and storming embassies around the world because of a stupid video on the web while they do not about what is happening in Syria. They usually say how come Syrian embassies aren’t stormed or attacked.

The fact of the matter is the Syrian embassies around the world have been attacked:

London, Australia, Cairo and other places:

Protesters attacked seven Syrian embassies around the world following reports of the bloodiest episode yet in Damascus’ nearly yearlong crackdown on dissent. Mobs trashed diplomats’ offices from London to Australia and set the embassy in Cairo on fire. (source)

The days and nights pass, as do the centuries and successive generations, and your light ever shines, and the fragrance of your remembrance penetrates throughout, your gentle cascade falls throughout, and your call to humanity remains timeless and universal: {O Mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single soul} – Quran.

How then, can the vile block the light of the sun, or how can the putrid stream pollute the lucid water of life? Rabid dogs bark at the moon, but yet the caravan proceeds. They are the enemies of peace, the enemies of prosperity, the enemies of humanity.

Your disparagers were referring to someone else, a product of their vile imagination. They deserve less than to be mentioned by name, and we care not to speak to them. Rather, we address people of reason and understanding. We address believers, and we address Muslims, with these three thoughts:

1) To people of reason and understanding: We ask everyone to ponder the ramifications of provoking the feelings of over one billion people by a small party of people who desires not to seek peace nor fraternity between members of humanity. This poses a threat to world peace with no tangible benefit realized. Is it not necessary in today’s world for the United Nations to issue a resolution criminalizing the impingement of religious symbols? We request all religious and political authorities, as well as people of reason to join us in putting a stop to this futility that benefits no one.

2) To the world’s Muslims: Expressing outrage in the face of the maligning of God or the Prophet Muhammad is a moral right, as faith cannot be devoid of feelings and immunity from provocation. It is from the completeness of our faith that we love the Prophet Muhammad more than our wealth, more than our beloveds, more than even our own selves. It is from our complete love of him that we follow God’s commands, specifically where He says: {And do not let a hatred of a people prevent you from being just; Be just, as it is closer to true faith} and {No soul bears the sin of another} and {He who kills a soul not in recompense for another soul or in retribution for the sowing of corruption, is as if he has killed all of humanity} – Qur’an. Consequently, we implore you not to inflict violence upon anyone, whether foreign delegations or otherwise. You should not destroy property or flout the values and cherished principles that you defend, as attacking innocents, killing foreign diplomats and ambassadors contravenes religious and moral principles before it contravenes political ones. It is important that we not forget the Prophet Muhammad’s praise for those who exercise restraint upon becoming angry. You should prevent those individuals who behave recklessly from actions that are unreasonable and immoral. We ask the Muslim youth to be disciplined in word and deed, and to act appropriately.

We call upon Muslim religious authorities, governments, and community and organization leaders, to devise a strategy to deal with such situations in the future. These situations will likely reoccur, so it is important to manage the conflict before it does. We call upon Friday prayer congregations to perform the prayer and to seek blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad and to apprise the international community of the seriousness of the situation.

3) To our Western neighbors: Our Lord has enjoined us to respect and treat equitably our neighbors, regardless of race or religious affiliation. Jesus Christ also spoke of love of thy neighbor. We will remain neighbors forever. No reasonable person would conclude that it would be possible for either of us to disappear from the face of the earth. Therefore, why shouldn’t we cooperate to establish effective neighborly relations in an effort to create a space for mutual liberty and prosperity?

We are extremely concerned with a small active minority in your countries that seeks to perpetuate a state of conflict and war.

We estimate that such objectives do not serve the general interest. Therefore, it is our hope that you reconsider and criminalize the denigration of religious symbols, as such provocations do not serve the principles of free speech, principles that you and us both seek to uphold.

Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah

Vice-Chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IMUS)

President of the Global Centre for Renewal and Guidance

Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence at the King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah

Clerics and leaders who instigate Muslims to ‘defend the honor of the Prophet (saw)’ by attacking people who have nothing to do with insulting his honor, actually disrespect the memory of our Prophet (saw).

Yes, the movie was disgusting, but I’m sure the happiest person today is the person who made it, because his goal of smearing the Muslims has succeeded.

I condemn it because the religion of Islam doesn’t allow such an action. Common sense and a call to revise sensibilities clearly have failed with such people. So we have to focus on the only thing that might speak out to them: their religion. These militiamen have not just insulted themselves, but they’ve insulted their Prophet, the same Prophet who stated authentically and unequivocally, “Whoever kills a person who is granted protection by the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise even though its fragrance can be smelt from a distance of forty years of travelling.” (Source)

In all seriousness I am shocked and surprised of the recent incidents at the US embassies in Egypt and Libya. I have no idea what goes through the mind of someone who claims they are defending the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by burning an American flag or attacking the American embassy. Where does it say this in the Qur’an or Sunnah? Huh! Tell me where!

The film that slandered the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was disgusting and should be condemned. The response though is not violence. The response is education, dawah, and increase in seeking knowledge. The response is to increase in the sending of blessings and salutations upon Muhammad the beloved of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The response is to read a biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Alla be upon him). The response is to do a small good deed in charity. The response is to call upon others to learn about Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). So many other responses other then the stupidity and idiocy of burning American flags, storming American embassies and murdering American diplomats.

May Allah guide us all and forgive us. May Allah educate us and remove the ignorance from our minds. Ameen!

SANA’A, Sep. 09 (Saba) – President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi said on Monday that an accident of a car bomb has revealed a terrorist plot targeted three provinces.

During his meeting with Shura council’s members, the President said the disclosed plot aimed to carry out three car bomb attacks in public areas at Crater city in Aden, Bab Alyemen area in Sana’a and at Dar al-Musufa in Tarim city in Hadramout.

“What if all these cars have blown up at the same time as planed. How is the image of Yemen inside and outside the country? What is the first impression of any one after hearing such terrible news?”

Hadi urged Shura council members, clerks, social personalities and all citizens to stand against the terrorists acts that negatively impacted the economic situation in the country.

As to the comprehensive national dialogue, the President said that the national dialogue will tackle all pending issues and forge the future of a new Yemen based on freedom, justice, equality and good governance in addition to maintain Yemen’s unity, security and stability.

Three political, economic and security impasses erupted in the country in 2011 besides the aftermaths of each, Hadi said. “Three impasses break out simultaneously will collapse any country.”

In Yemen, wisdom prevails and all political powers have agreed to solve the crisis via the Gulf initiative and a peaceful power transfer deal was reached, he said.

After the speech, President Hadi and the members of the Shura council discussed the latest developments in the national arena and the exerted efforts to carry out the political settlement under the Gulf initiative.